Gylys and Wedding (2013, p 122) stated, “that the pharynx serves as a passageway to the respiratory and GI tract and provides a resonating chamber for speech sounds.” In order to keep the respiratory tract free from food particles that pass into the esophagus there is a flap of connective tissue called the epiglottis that shuts the trachea off when we are swallowing to prevent choking. The trachea is the air conducting tube that connects to the lungs in order to breathe. The bolus of food is involuntarily pushed through the esophagus into the stomach by peristaltic contractions made by the muscles. The esophageal sphincter located between the esophagus and stomach acts as a regulator for what flows into the …show more content…
The major function of the large intestine is to absorb water and vitamins from the remaining indigestible food matter and transmit the useless waste material to the rectum. The large intestine can be separated into three different sections: the ascending colon, transverse colon, and the descending colon. The descending colon is connected to an S-shape figure known as the sigmoid colon and finally connected to the straightened canal of the rectum. The rectum function is to receive the stool from colon and hold there until it needs to be transferred out. The final step of the digestive system consists of the anus, where the stool is finally released from the